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I'm gonna have to try out the hot water bottle thing. I've been using a giant sleeping bag that's fuzzy on the inside. I stay good and warm, but when I move around in the night half the bag falls and hangs out of my hammock. needless to say sometimes I have to wake up and adjust a few times. Not great for a good night's rest. I've tried using a smaller bag but I find myself getting a little chilly. Maybe with a hot water bottle though I might can use the smaller bag or blankets and still be able to stay warm.

I'm gonna have to try out the hot water bottle thing. I've been using a giant sleeping bag that's fuzzy on the inside. I stay good and warm, but when I move around in the night half the bag falls and hangs out of my hammock. needless to say sometimes I have to wake up and adjust a few times. Not great for a good night's rest. I've tried using a smaller bag but I find myself getting a little chilly. Maybe with a hot water bottle though I might can use the smaller bag or blankets and still be able to stay warm.

Hi ya Sleeping Beauty... I use 2 bottles on really cold nights. One is between my thighs and one is on my torso/kidney area. Central heat for the hammock!!!

The beauty of sunsets,
The wind in the pines,
The mountains give these and more...
Peace of mind.

Make sure that you are using Nalgene brand bottles, and not the knock-offs. Most people get a bottle, and just refer to it as a nalgene, when it is just a generic bottle......RR

I understand the Nalgene bottles are nearly indestructible, but for most of my camping activities, I have always used the 20oz Gatorade bottles. They're 110% watertight and have ribbed sides which makes them pretty tough. If you keep em clean, they last forever. Plus I don't like the weight of a 32oz Nalgene - I prefer two 20's for more flexibility in handling & packing.

I haven't tried the hot water bottle trick yet, but I'm gonna! Any reason a 20oz or two wouldn't work as well as a genuine Nalgene for this purpose? Also thinking it would be best to make a cozy or some type of insulation pack to release the heat slower, thus lasting longer . . . ?

After reading most of the posts here, I would like to suggest that anyone thinking about trying any of the methods talked about here be trialed in the safety of your own home first! That way you will know how hot to get the water, whether the container you've chosen will leak or not, whether you may or may not want to 'cozy' it, what sort of container is best. Just some thoughts...

I carry a couple of 1/2 liter cheapo water bottles for on-trail use. They cinch onto my straps with shock cord nicely and they dont weigh so much that I'm much imbalanced when one side is empty.

I don't know why anyone would still carry an actual Nalgene bottle just for water...way too heavy...unless you can justify it as multi-use. One lady I know heats only water in her aluminum trail-cup-pot and uses her Nalbottle inside that as a warming pot, and then as dishware, so that her tea and dinner are both cooked with one measure of fuel.

On a hike I'll do dinner near the last water source. No sense in cooking or crapping near where you sleep, right?

After dinner and before I'm on the way to set up camp I'll heat water and fill up the 96oz Nalgene "Canteen", which is NOT a bottle but a reservoir-type bag. Don't heat it to boiling but to coffee-drinking temps, like 175F or so; because even the risk of scalding is not worth the gain of warmth.

That canteen bag is a hot water bottle that lasts all through the night. It's still warm enough in the AM to provide warm water for morning ablutions. The lid seals tight and it conforms to the shape I want.

If I'm going to be a long way from a water source it's a fine reservoir for that, too. So during the day it can be useful too.

The Nalgene Canteen is 2.25 ounces and bottles with the same capacity add up to more than a pound.